A Glossary of Basic Chess Variant Terms

We now have a variety of chess-variant terms that have been more or less accepted by the greater chess community.
There are a number of others, however, that are still being tried and tested. Perhaps sometime within the next
decade, a few dozen terms will have earned the popularity they need to merit an official lexicon. This is how new
terms become a part of a common language. The only problem that I have with this process is that we could use that
lexicon now! It is for this reason that I have jumped the gun, so to speak, and assembled the following terms into
a modest CV glossary. These terms include...

Those most frequently used on The Chess Variant Pages.*

Those used by D. B. Pritchard in The Encyclopedia of Chess Variants.

Those used by Anthony Dickens in A Guide to Fairy Chess.

Those used by Edward R. Brace in An Illustrated Dictionary of Chess.

Those included to facilitate definitions taken from the above sources.

Those included to satisfy an obvious need for completion.**

It is assumed that the reader is familiar with standard 8x8 chess, as its more basic terms are not included
here. Neither are the names of specific pieces, whose proper place is the Piececlopedia.
The names of specific variants are also omitted, with the exception of small shogi
and xiangqi, which have gained such a following that some believe that they
should be included under the heading of orthochess.

Please review this page and let me know if there are any terms that you object to or any key terms that
I might have overlooked. If we can agree on a basic nomenclature, we may encourage others to use it and perhaps
eliminate some of the ambiguities that plague CV submissions. Please send your comments and recommendations to
(email removed contact us for address) ssvariants.com.

*My thanks to David Howe for determining the frequencies of the 5,535 different words occurring on the Chess Variants
Pages.

attack - 1.v. To move a piece to a position from where it can capture
an enemy piece within a single move. 2.n.under..... The state of lying within the capture
zone of an enemy piece.

augmented piece - n. A familiar piece that has been given an additional move
option.

- B -bare King - n. A King that remains after all friendly pieces have been captured.bare King rule - 1.n. In
orthodox chess,
a draw may be claimed when (1) one's King is bared and (2) each player has made 50 consecutive non-Pawn moves without making a capture.
2.n. In some historical variants, a
bare King
loses the game. A supplemental rule: if a newly bared King immediately bares the enemy King, the game becomes a draw.

capture in passing - 1.v. To capture an enemy piece
prior to completing a move. 2.n. The act of capturing an enemy piece prior to completing a move.

capture leap - n. A leap to a square that is necessarily
occupied by an enemy piece, which is captured. (Compare passive leap.)

capture move - n. A move to a square that is necessarily occupied
by an enemy piece, which is captured. (Compare passive move.)

capture square - n. For a given piece, a square that may be entered
only to make a capture. [e.g.: The Pawn's forward-diagonal squares.] (Compare
passive square.)

capture zone - n. For a given piece, those squares to which it can legally
capture.

castling - n. An orthochess rule that serves to
secure the King by moving it to the far side of either Rook. This rule is adapted to chess variants in the following
way: (1) if the number of squares between King and Rook are even, both pieces move an equal distance; (2) if the
number of squares between King and Rook are odd, the King moves one square less than the Rook. (Compare free
castling.)

chess1. - n. A game played on a two-dimensional array of cells,
each player having an equal and opposite set of pieces that have various powers of transfer and nullification.
Each side has a primary piece whose continued function is necessary for the continuation of the game. The strategy
of the game is to gain an advantage by transferring one's pieces to cells so positioned that the opponent's pieces
become nullified. The object of the game is to nullify the opponent's primary piece while maintaining the function
of one's own. 2. - n. A chess variant.

chess board - n. A graphic representation of a two-dimensional array
of cells that is used as reference points for the relative positions
and move options of chess pieces.

chess piece - 1.n. A theoretical entity employed in a chess
game as a nexus point for various assigned powers of transfer and nullification. Each unique piece is characterized
by a unique name being associated with unique move options. 2.n. A
chessman. 3.n. A counter or marker used to represent
a chessman.

compound piece - n. A new piece that is created by combining the move options of existing pieces.

control- v. To hold a board square within the capture
zone of a friendly piece (or pieces) in a manner that makes it disadvantageous for an enemy piece to enter
that square.coordinal plane - n. Within a 3-D board, any plane which lies parallel to two axes and, necessarily, lies perpendicular to the third. (x & y, x & z or y & z)

counter - n. A object used to represent a chess piece on a chess board.

crowned - adj. Having the additional move of a King.

custodial capture -n. A type of capture that is made by flanking
an enemy piece with two friendly pieces which complete a straight line of three adjacent
squares.

CVPhile - n. One who frequents the Chess Variants Pages.

cycle - n. In English
Progressive Chess,
a single iteration of the democratic system for moving pieces, whereby every mobile piece moves once before it can move a 2nd time; every mobile piece moves twice before it can move a 3rd time; and so on.

cylindrical chess - n. Chess played on a board that is rolled into
a cylinder, allowing either its two outer ranks or its two outer files to be joined. Movement around the board
is thus continuous, as the the board's axial borders are now eliminated. (Typically played on a flat board with
the wraparound rule.)

displacement capture - n. A means of capture whereby the capturing
piece moves to an enemy-occupied square and removes the enemy piece from the board.

distant squares - n. Squares that share neither a common side nor
a common corner. (Compare adjacent squares.)

drop - 1.v. To place a captive or reserve piece
on the board to subsequently be used as one's own. (Compare board move.) 2.
n. A captive or reserve piece that may be placed on the board to subsequently
be used as one's own.

endgame - n. The last stage of the game wherein there are relative few pieces remaining on the board.
The primary concern of the endgame is to subdue and checkmate the opponent King.

enemy piece - n. Any piece belonging to a given player's opponent. (Compare
friendly piece.)en passant capture - n. An orthochess rule than can be adapted to chess
variants as follows: A Pawn making an initial multi-square advance may be captured by an enemy Pawn, if
the advancing Pawn passes through a square that is guarded by the enemy Pawn. To capture,
the enemy Pawn moves forward diagonally to the vacant passed-though square and
removes the advanced Pawn from the board.

en prise - n. The condition of a piece being under attack in such a way that its loss would be disadvantageous.

fairy chess - n. A system of heterodox chess pieces, boards and
rule variations created by British chess columnist T. R. Dawson in the second quarter of the 20th Century. The
system was initially used to compose chess problems and eventually became the foundation of the heterodox
chess movement.
Ferz - n. (Arabic for general) An
elemental piece. Moves to a
diagonally adjacent square.

finite mover - n. A piece that cannot move beyond a fixed distance from
its departure square, regardless of board size, board position
or the availability of vacant squares. [e.g.: The Knight, the King, the Pawn.] (Compare infinite
mover.)

flip piece - n. A heraldic piece displaying different identity symbols
on each side. The piece may be flipped over at the close of a move (or as a move in itself), and assume its alternate
identity.

free castling - n. A rule variation that allows more leeway in castling:
(1) the King moves outward to any square up to and including the Rook's home square;
(2) the Rook moves inward to any square up to and including the King's home square.

friendly piece- n. Any piece belonging to the player in question.
(Compare enemy piece.)

hand - n. One's cache of reserve pieces. (Such
pieces are said to be "in hand.")

heraldic piece - n. A flat shield-like chess piece that displays a
move diagram or an identifying symbol on its face.

heterodox chess - n. A term sometimes used to denote chess games
other than orthochess. (Compare orthodox chess.)hex - n.
A six-sided
cell of a hexagonal chess board.

hexagonal chess - n. Chess played on a board tiled by hexagons rather than squares. The moves of
the pieces are amended accordingly. (See Hexagonal Chess.)
home square - n. The square that a given piece occupies in the initial
array.

infinite mover - n. A piece that has no natural limit to the
distance that it can move from its departure square. This limit is determined
solely by (1) board size, (2) board position and (3) the availability of vacant squares.
On an 'infinite board', with no intervening pieces, an infinite mover could theoretically move on forever. (e.g.:
The Bishop, the Rook, the Queen, any rider.) [Compare finite mover.]

marker - n. An object used to represent a chess piece on a chess board.

material - n. A collective name for one's game pieces that is used in statements
concerning their relative values. [e.g. usage: "White lost material on that
exchange."]

middlegame - n. That stage of the game that begins after initial development
is more or less completed. The primary concern of the middlegame is to pare down opponent pieces and to establish
strong board positions.

passive leap - n. A leap that may not be
performed concurrently with a capture. (Compare capture leap.)

passive move - n. A move that may not be performed concurrently
with a capture. (Compare capture move.)

passive piece - n. A piece that cannot capture.

passive square - n. For a given piece, a square that may not
be entered concurrently with a capture. [e.g.: The Pawn's straight-forward square.]
(Compare capture square.)

pass-through square - n. For certain line
pieces, a square that must be passed through in order to proceed to subsequent squares. A piece may neither
stop nor capture on a pass-through square. [e.g.: The first diagonal square
of the xiangqi Elephant's move.]

pocket piece - n. Describes a single once-per-game drop piece that is
allowed in certain games.

points - n. The intersections of lines on a chess board. Some variants, such as xiangqi,
require that pieces be played on the line intersections (points) rather than on the actual squares. Other more
exotic variants require that pieces be played on both the points and the squares.

position - 1.n. A piece's relative location on a chess board. - 2.n. The collective locations of one's chess pieces with respect to how they confer strategic advantages or
disadvantages. [e.g. usage: White has a positional advantage in this game.]

postal chess - n. Chess played by mail whereby each player posts a single move per mailing. Postal
chess was popular throughout most of the 20th Century, but is now being supplanted by e-mail chess.

proprietary game - n. A chess variant that is developed and marketed for profit. Copyrights to the
artwork and printed matter of a proprietary game are the property of the inventor and/or licensing company. Although
the rules to a game may never be copyrighted (nor patented), the particular wording of the rules is usually copyrighted.
Furthermore, any unique mechanism included with the game may be protected by a patent.

relative value - n. The exchange value of
a given piece with respect to other pieces.

reserve piece - n. An off-board piece that may be dropped
onto the board to subsequently be used as one's own.

rider - n. A piece that serially repeats a single move
option in the same outward direction.

river - n. On the
Xiangqi board, a central horizontal space, devoid of vertical lines, which serves as a promotion
rank for Pawns and a barrier for Elephants.

rotating piece - n. A heraldic piece that may rotate at the close
of a move (or as a move in itself) in order to realign its move zone and capture
zone by an angle of 45°. (e.g.: A Bishop rotated 45° moves as a Rook.)

species - n. A class of all pieces having the same move
options. [e.g. usage: White Knights and black Knights are of the same species.]

spherical chess - n. Chess played on a spherical board whereon the "squares" are delineated
by longitude and latitude lines.
stalemate - n. A position characterized by a player's king not being threatened, while at the same time, the player is unable to make a legal move.

standard square - n. With respect to a given piece, a square that
may be entered either (1) when it is vacant, or (2) when it is occupied by an enemy piece, which is captured. (Compare
passive square, capture square, target square.)

3-D board - n. An arrangement of 2-D boards used for playing 3-D chess. Typically, a number of 2-D boards are stacked vertically, with sufficient space between them to set up and manipulate the pieces. Some players, however, prefer the 2-D boards to be laid out on a flat surface--especially if the game is quite small.

3-D chess (three-dimensional chess) - n. A chess variant played on a 3-D board with pieces having additional powers that allow them to move three-dimensionally. (e.g., Raumschach.)

3-D diagonal - n. In 3-D chess, two or more cells, joined serially at their further-most corners. (e.g., the path from Aa1 to Ee5 in Raumschach.)

transport - v. To move a piece to a position outside its normal move
zone by utilizing a special rule.

two move rule - n. A rule variation that allows each player to move two pieces per turn in the opening stage of the game, in order to facilitate initial development.
A player loses his two-piece privilege upon capturing.

wraparound - n. A rule variation that allows pieces to exit the board on
one side (or end) and re-enter the board on the opposite side (or end), in a continuous move, as though the board
were rolled into a cylinder. (See cylindrical chess.)